Choice of jewelry for new piercing VS. healed piercing

So you did everything right. You've done your research, found the right piercing, and selected the best piercers, but you're not done yet. The coolest piercing in the world is nothing without the right jewelry.

There is a huge selection of jewelry for all types of piercings. There are many options for accessorizing, adding a twist, emphasizing features or creating a spectacular look. But with so many choices, where do you start?

We think the best place to start is by determining whether you are buying jewelry for a new piercing or an already healed one.

Choosing jewelry for a new piercing

Your initial jewelry options are a little more limited to fresh piercings. But don't worry. Depending on your piercing, you only have a few weeks to a few months to open up a world of options. Here are a few considerations when choosing jewelry for a new piercing:

• jewelry style
• Materials
• measuring device

jewelry style

Those big, dangling hoop earrings you've got your eye on aren't practical yet, but you'll be wearing them soon enough. When your piercing is still healing, the area around it becomes painful. You want to use jewelry that doesn't move too much and is unlikely to catch on anything.

Hoop or dangling earrings can easily get caught on clothes, hair, and objects. In addition, they have a lot of room to move around inside the piercing hole. Any of these problems slow healing and can lead to irritation or complications.

Some of the jewelry styles that are often recommended for fresh piercings include:

• Studs
• Barbells
  • Circular
  • Curved
  • Straight
• Fixed beaded ring
• nostril screw

All of these styles minimize the amount of exposed jewelry. This means less movement and less chance of your jewelry getting snagged or pulled.

Can a ring be inserted into a fresh conch piercing?

This is one of the most frequently asked questions on this topic. We do not recommend using the ring in new concha piercings. A concha piercing heals slowly, and the ring has a high chance of slipping and snagging. It is safer to start with a barbell and move to a ring after healing. 

Materials

Body piercing jewelry comes in a variety of materials. But the safest types are titanium for implants and gold from 14 to 18 carats. We recommend these materials for all jewelry as they are safe and hypoallergenic. However, they are especially important for new piercings.

Titanium for implants complies with ASTM F-136 and ASTM F-67 standards. Its advantage is that it is lightweight so it does not pull on your piercing. In addition, it does not contain nickel impurities, nickel sensitivity is the cause of a common allergic reaction to jewelry. It is available in a wide variety of colors. 

Yellow or white gold is also a good option for a new piercing. It must be at least 14K to ensure biocompatibility and nickel free. Anything over 18 carats is too soft for new jewelry because the surface is too easily damaged.

Even small scratches or porous surfaces on jewelry can slow healing. Cells form inside the defects, rupturing the piercing each time it moves. 

measuring device

The gauge size of piercing jewelry depends on how thick or thin it is. The larger the gauge, the smaller the piercing hole needs to be to fit into the jewelry. It is very important to get the right pressure gauge. If it is too small, the jewelry will move and slow down healing. If it's too big, it can damage the skin around the new piercing.

Calibration sizes range from 20 g (0.81 mm) to 00 g (10-51 mm). Sizes can sometimes vary slightly depending on the body jewelry company. So it's usually best to buy jewelry from the same shop where you get your piercing. The master piercer is familiar with jewelry and the corresponding caliber options. 

For most piercings, you will base the caliber of the jewelry on the caliber of the piercing, not the other way around. Your piercer knows what sizes are best to use, for example, nipple piercings are usually 14g, while most nose piercings are 20g or 18g.

However, if you intend to stretch the piercing, your piercer may recommend starting with a larger diameter piercing.

Many piercing parlors have stretching kits, but these should not be used until the piercing is completely healed.

Find jewelers and piercers in Newmarket

Whether you're looking to get pierced or looking for new body jewelry, our piercers will be happy to help. Contact a Piercing Specialist today or visit our Newmarket Piercing Store.